One thing that a lot of people struggle with is getting enough motivation to do abs after a long workout. Ab Ripper X is put into the P90X schedule 3 days a week to help strengthen your core so you can start to get those 6 pack abs that everyone is after. If you follow me on facebook you will probably notice that I switch up my ab routine a lot. I do this for a couple different reasons. First, I want to keep myself motivated. Even though ARX (Ab Ripper X) is a great ab routine, I find it mentally tough to do it 3x each week. Switching ab routines helps me to keep things new mentally. Second, I like to keep my body guessing. Especially with a muscle group as versatile as abs. Doing different routines will hit your abs in a different way allowing you to find your weak points, whether its upper, lower or obliques and target them.

If you read my other posts you will probably know that I believe that “abs are made in the kitchen”…meaning you can do ab routines all day long but you need to get your body fat % down low enough so they show. That being said, you still need to make sure you are working your abs at least 2-4x per week. I usually do 3x and each workout is usually only 10-20 mins, depending on my mood. If you work your abs everyday you can actually hurt your results if you don’t do it correctly. Most people with ripped abs do 3-4x per week and get great results so that’s a pretty good rule of thumb.

Switching up your ab routine can be as simple as using a different workout from a different fitness program. Most of my favorite come from Tony Horton’s One on Ones and other Tony Horton programs but there are a bunch in the team beachbody catalog to choose from. Here are some of my favorites that you can use instead of ARX, ab ripper X, to keep things new and fresh so you can improve your core strength and continue to get great results.

1. Killer Abs (18 min). This is from volume one of Tony’s One on One series. Killer abs takes moves from AB Ripper from P90 and Ab Ripper X from P90X and combines them into a great, quick ab routine. I like this one a lot.

2. Ten Minute Trainer ABS (10 Min). Think you can’t get a great ab workout in 10 mins? Think again. This is one of the toughest 10 min workouts you will ever do. It combines a lot of ab exercises together so you can get the most out of your tim.

3. Abs Core Plus (18 mins). This one is from P90X+ and it has grown on me a lot. I like it because it combines ab moves on the floor, standing, weights, and with the pull up bar. It is fast paced and tough. It works your full core.

4. ARX MC2 (45 min). If your looking for a good, long ab routine, then ARX: MC2 from Volume 3 of the P90X: One on One series is great. It gives you a sneak peak at P90X2: ARX2. Great workout.

5. Insane ABS (30 min). Insane Abs is from the deluxe upgrade workouts from Insanity. It’s great because it’s totally different than other stuff you have done.

6. 20/12 Abs (10 min). This is from the 10 min crusher pack workout from Volume 2 of the One on Ones. Again it’s great becausse its only 10 mins but it combines 20 reps from ab exercises on the floor with 12 reps exercises from the pull up bar. An ab killer.

7. Ab Destroyer (20 min). This is my new ab routine that I made up myself, combining some of my favorite moves I have learned over the last couple of years. This is available to only the people I coach (join my team), that have purchased something through me or my site. I am in the process of making a youtube instructional video all about it. Stay tuned.

8. Back to Core (40 min). This is a completely different core routine from Insanity Asylum that I really like. It’s great because it works the lower back and helps with one of my weaknesses. Totally different type of core routine.

The great part about all of these routines if that they are all unique and hit your abs in slightly different ways. This helps with keeping your results coming with your core strength and your fitness in general. If your are sick of the same ab routine then try switching it up with any of these. I promise you won’t be disappointed. P90X2 combines a ton of core exercises so I am also excited to add that to the list soon.

Have you tried any of these? Do you have a favorite Ab routine I should add to the list?

Great Post!
I STILL need to get Killer Abs...
I would add to this Upper Body Balance (UBB)
Not STRICTLY an Ab routine, but it is Core Core Core with Ab isolation moves between. For those that don't know, it's a 1-on-1 from Vol. 2. Mason (Bendewald) actually turned me on to this when I was tweeting with him about 6-8 months ago...I quickly learned what an IMPOSSIBLE PUSHUP was (now re-named the POSSIBLE PUSHUP by Tony H...)

I also like to incorporate a variety of exercises into my ab routine. My core has always been an aspect of my fitness that i struggled to strengthen so i spice it up nowadays to maintain and keep an element of surprise each week. My current favorite is ISO Abs from the One on One Vol. 2 series.

Great list of ab routines Sean. One modification that i used before I moved from P90X to Insanity was to do Ab Ripper with ankle weights. It kept me from getting to adjusted to the routine and forced me to keep advancing.